This invention relates to containers for storing and serving liquids. It is desirable to have a top portion of such a container which is easy to assemble and removably attachable to a jar portion for purposes of cleaning and repair.
Typically, consumers prefer a transparent container to permit easy identification of the contents. However, from a production standpoint, it is costly to produce molded pitchers including an attached spout and handle portion. It is also desirable to provide a pitcher which has a top to protect the contents of the pitcher. As an additional convenience it is desirable to provide a cover which has a displaceable lid so that a user does not have to remove the cover every time they dispense a quantity of liquid from the container.
One way to provide a transparent pitcher with a cover and a movable lid is to produce a jar portion from glass or another transparent material and to produce a cover assembly of plastic or other suitable material. The cover assembly is then attached to the jar portion to form the assembled pitcher. Prior art pitchers have used cover assemblies which attach to the jar portion by way of threads formed on the jar portion and cooperative threads on a corresponding surface of the cover portion. However, a problem arises in that it is difficult and costly to produce threads in a glass jar portion.
Another problem with prior art containers is that the cover portion may tend to disengage or "unscrew" from the threads formed in the jar portion with continued use of the pitcher.
Yet another problem with prior art pitchers is that the assemblies used to provide a movable lid are often relatively complex, using several independent moving components. It would be desirable to reduce the number of components for assembly purposes as well as to reduce potential wear damage and provide repair advantages.